Overview
- The Journal’s editorial said the administration’s Section 232 levies have raised prices and cost U.S. firms tens of billions of dollars, citing U.S. data that show $35.2 billion in autos and parts costs and $17.5 billion in steel and aluminum through April.
- The paper argued the tariffs contributed to a net loss of roughly 75,000 manufacturing jobs since January 2025 with more than one-third of those losses in autos and parts.
- A March Cox Automotive report, cited by the editorial, estimated tariffs drove a 10.4% rise in the average suggested retail price of a new car, with sticker increases of about $5,000–$8,900 for imports and $1,600–$2,000 for U.S.-made models.
- Thursday’s editorial pushed back on the President’s claim that Toyota’s $3.6 billion San Antonio assembly line was proof of reshoring caused by tariffs, noting Toyota emphasized Texas’s business conditions and that firms decide moves for multiple commercial reasons.
- A small-business coalition released an interactive map estimating roughly $317 billion in cumulative tariff costs since March 2025, and observers say the policy has reduced new-vehicle sales, led automakers to trim imports and entry-level models, and created investment uncertainty that shifts costs onto consumers and small firms.